Car-coupling



No. fill-3,363. Patented Dec. 20, I898. G. SCHNEIDER.

CAR COUPLING (Application filed Jan. 3, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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6% 40114; (id/game flatten m wi-l meaoeo aw/W M Patented Dec. 20, I898.

G. SCHNEIDER.

CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

1% LJMQM. 60 91 2 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER, OF AUGUSTA, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,363, dated December20, 1898.

Application filed January 3, 1898.

it aZZ whom, it 77mg] concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Augusta, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; andIdohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplers; and its object is to provide animproved construction of the same, by means of which two cars providedwith the ordinary link and pins will be automatically coupled as twocars come together.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing two carsprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the cars.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the link-holding platesand spring-arms. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of thevertically-movable yokes which carry the coupling-pins.

In the said drawings the reference-n umeral 1 designates the cars, eachprovided with a draw-head 2, 3 designating the coupling-link and 4 thecoupling-pins. As the coupling devices of each car are identical inconstruction a description of one will suffice for both.

Secured to the under side of the draw-head is an outwardly-extendingcurved spring-arm G, to the outer end of which is secured a plate 5 inalinement with the mouth of the. draw -head and provided with two lugs6, which serve to hold the link on said plate in coupling. The numeral 7designates an arm, also secured to the draw-head, having a hook at itsouter end, which engages with the arm 6 and holds it in position. Thepin 4 is of the ordinary construction and passes through a hole Sin avertically-movable plate 9,formed integral with a yoke 12. This plate isprovided with two lugs 11, which are bent over the head 10 of the pinand securely hold the latter to the plate. The yoke 12 is formed withtwo alined holes 13, through which passes avertical rod 14, secured tothe car and acting as a guide for the said yoke. Se-

Serial No. 665,405- (No model.)

cured to said yoke is an eye 15, with which is connected one end of ashort chain 16, the other end of which is connected with the horizontalarm 17 of a vertically-movable lifting rod 18, passing through aguide-plate 19, se cured to the car. The lower end of this rod 18 isbent laterally outward, forming a horizontal arm 20. The arm 17 isprovided with an eye 21, which works upon the rod 14, which forms aguide therefor. Secured to the car at one side of the drawhead is a bentrod 22, around the horizontal portion of which is coiled a rod 26, theouter end of which is in= clined downwardly, forming an arm 24, whilethe other or inner end is extended backwardly, forming an arm 27, whichengages under the inner end of therod 22.

As before stated, the coupling devices of an adjoining car are similarin construction to those above described; but the rod 26 and the liftingrod 18 of one car are at the opposite side of the draw-head of the othercar.

The operation is as follows: In normal position the pins 4 are lowered,as seen in Fig. 1, and as two cars approach each other a coupling-linkis inserted in the draw-head of one car, the inner end abutting againstthe pin and the outer end supported by the plate 5. As the cars cometogether the outer end of the link will slide onto the opposite plate 5and at the same time the inclined rods 24 will engage with the liftingplates 20, raising the same, and through the connections elevating theyokes 12 and the pins 4, so as to allow the link to pass into thedraw-heads. By this time the lifting plates will have passed back of orpast the inner ends of the rods 24, when they will fall down, so thatthe coupling-pins will also fall down and engage with the link.

For the purpose of uncoupling the cars I provide the following means:Secured to the end of the yoke 12 are eyes 27 and 28, and connected withthe eye 27 is a chain 29, leading to a hand-bar 30, working in theguideeye 31 of the rod 14, and by which the pin 4 may be elevated fromthetop of the car. To the eye 28 is secured a chain 32, fastened to thearm 33 of a rock-shaft 34, journaled to the car-and provided with acrank 35, so that the coupling-pin may be elevated from the side of thecar. The rod 24 is journaled to the rod 22 by means of the coils, sothat in uncoupling it will give or turn, so as to allow the liftingplate 20 to be elevated.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim is 1. In acar-coupler, the combination with the drawhead, the couplingpin passingtherethrough, the verticallymovable yoke carrying said pin, the chainconnected with said yoke, the horizontal arm 1'7 to which the other endof said chain is connected, the vertical lifting rod bent at its lowerend and adapted to be raised by means carried by an approaching car, ofthe curved spring-arm secured to the draw-head, the plate at the outerend provided with lugs and the hooked holding-arm, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an automatic car-coupling, the combination with the cars, thedraw-heads, the pins passing therethrough, the verticallymovable yokescarrying said pins, the lifting rods connected With said yokes, saidrods being bent at the lower ends thereof, the curved spring-arms andthe link-supporting plates at the upper ends thereof provided with lugs,of the bent rods secured to the cars, the rods coiled thereon having theouter endsinclined downwardly and the inner ends engaging with the innerends of said bent ends, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER. W'itnesses:

RICHARD HANSON, JAMES NEAL.

